Last year, two-way traffic flow was restored to Main Street in Downtown Oregon City as the first part of a $2.5 million streetscape enhancement project that will ultimately include new street lighting, sidewalks, and ADA accessible crosswalks.
It’s time to look both ways on Main Street — another change will soon be made to traffic patterns in order to make downtown a better place to live, work and visit. The video animation below, created by Funnelbox Production Studios located in downtown Oregon City, illustrates the upcoming traffic pattern change on 7th Street, Rail Road Ave. and 6th Street.
Upon completion of intersection work at 7th Street and Rail Road Avenue at the base of the Municipal Elevator:
Seventh Street will carry traffic in both the east and west directions.
Rail Road Avenue between 7th and 6th will also carry two-way traffic.
Traffic flow on 6th Street will be reversed to allow drivers to better navigate around downtown.
The downtown circulation/traffic flow animation above was created to communicate to drivers and downtown visitors these changes.
Four-Part Concert Series to be Hosted at Pacific Crest Grant Ballroom, 610 McLoughlin Blvd. Beginning May 18th.
Pacific Crest Grand Ballroom, the 12,000 square foot event space at 610 McLoughlin Boulevard, now under management by Portland Catering Co. is planning a four-part summer concert series to celebrate Oregon City and Portland Catering Company’s recent acquisition of this ballroom.
The concert series, produced by Todd Passerini of Littil Brown Bird for the Pacific Crest Grand Ballroom is called “Alive in Oregon City”. It will feature as its first guest musician Blues artist Norman Sylvester, with special performances from Sarah Billings, and Oregon City’s High School Jazz Band at the Pacific Crest Grand Ballroom.
“Downtown Oregon City needs great entertainment and another reason to visit and stay awhile,” said Todd Passerini, of Littil Brown Bird. “This venue and this quality of music will be a real draw to downtown Oregon City.”
The Pacific Crest Grand Ballroom will host Oregon Music Hall of Fame 2011 Inductee “The Boogie Cat” Norman Sylvester of the Northwest with a new young & beautiful artist the soulful Sarah Billings, in concert on May 18, 2012 at 7pm, seating at 6pm, 21+.
The concert will be held at Pacific Crest Grand Ballroom, 610 McLoughlin Boulevard Oregon City, OR. Tickets for “Alive in Oregon City” are $8.50 with proceeds going to the Oregon City High School Jazz Band and available at www.portlandmercury.com/tickets & www.tickettomato.com.
“Alive in Oregon City” is scheduled monthly and will end in late August. The concert series will showcase top names and upcoming new artists, while benefiting good causes in the Oregon City, West Linn, and Willamette communities.
The Pacific Crest Grand Ballroom is a 12,000 square foot event space on the Willamette River next to the historic Oregon City Arch Bridge. The ballroom can host up to 490 people with full catering, audio/visual and media services. Parking is available on and off site. The ballroom can be rented for use from 6:30 am to 2 am.
April 2nd is the national premiere of a creative collaboration between two downtown Oregon City businesses. In early March, BDC Advertising began working with Funnelbox Production Studios on a 30-second broadcast television commercial for Yakima Bait Company.
The result of the collaboration is a high production value TV spot with a story line that uses a CSI-esque approach to solving the mystery behind what ultimately slayed a pile of fish.
BDC Advertising Vice President, Trey Carskadon, shared, “Alex Brauer (BDC’s President) knocked it out of the park with his script and Funnelbox brought it to life. This spot that will be aired nationally through the year and it has to be memorable. Funnelbox is great to work with, incredibly talented and the result is evident — we’ve produced a winner and Yakima Bait’s business will be better for it.”
BDC Advertising developed a concept and script for their client, Yakima Bait Company. Yakima Bait Company is one of the nation’s preeminent tackle manufacturers. Rooster Tail and FlatFish lures are just two of the dozens of noteworthy products they produce.
For this national marketing piece, Funnelbox Production Studio hired actors, worked on a tight two-day production schedule and found a very specific location for the shoot. Mt. Hood Community College’s Funeral Services and Mortuary program provided the setting for a commercial that seeks to understand what could have happened to all these fish. The camera shows several fish on a large bed of ice, as the sheet is pulled down and the coroner examines the fish and finds that it was indeed a “Rooster Tail” that was their last meal.
This collaboration also included involvement from another downtown Oregon City business. The script required a variety of whole fish that weighed in around 30 pounds. These were purchased from Tony’s Fish Market on Washington Street. A 12 member production crew shot the video on location at Mt. Hood Community College during a 10 hour shoot.
“It was a little stressful to pull everything together on a short timeline. Through tight coordination with BDC, we were able to pull everything off without a hitch,” said James Horn, Vice President of Production for Funnelbox Production Studios. “It’s really convenient to work with creative partners right next door. BDC provided us great creative and they’re a pleasure to work with.”
Oregon City’s Urban Renewal Commission authorizes $150,000 matching grant program for adaptive reuse of commercial property.
Property owners as well as innovative adaptive reuse and infill focused development professionals now have access to an innovative development tool in partnership with Oregon City’s Urban Renewal District. Matching funds are now available for adaptive reuse projects for internal improvements to property. $150,000 in grant funding is now available for projects that significantly improve and upgrade the value of existing commercial property. Full details and an application can be found via the link below:
This program is a result of more than eight months of work with Oregon City’s Economic Development Department and through the leadership of Eric Underwood, Oregon City’s Economic Development Manager. It is also a program unique to Oregon City. Few other cities in the Portland metropolitan region have both facade improvement funding at the high level that Oregon City offers to property owners, and an adaptive reuse program to encourage redevelopment of commercial property for new uses.
The program requires a private match in funding and rewards projects that show higher levels of private investment. It encourages the addition of residential capacity and mixed use development. It rewards innovative projects led by experienced development and adaptive reuse professionals and it supports projects that add value to existing property.
Father and Son Team Fulfill Their Dream and Plates with Mexican Style, Seasoning and Flair.
Javier and Javier Gonzalez, are opening a new restaurant in downtown Oregon City. El Compadre Mexican Restaurant will occupy 1,700 square feet of fully remodeled space at 705 Main Street.
These entrepreneurs have 15 years of experience in the restaurant industry and have decided to fulfill their dream of running a restaurant of their own. “Right now the economy is tough, but this is a family dream,” said Javier Gonzalez. “My father started with this dream and he’s shared it with me. We seized the opportunity to create a restaurant that allows us to share our family, culture and heritage with people who love good food.”
El Compadre is an authentic Mexican style restaurant with a full menu of favorite dishes and family recopies from around that country. While most of the family originated in the Baja California area, the menu will reflect cuisine from around the country. The Gonzalez’s plan to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. An authentic signature dish, and favorite of Javier, is the ensenada fish tacos. “These fish tacos will have you coming back for seconds,” said Javier Gonzalez, owner and manger of El Compadre at 705 Main Street.
The father and son team spent 6 weeks fully renovating 705 Main Street in order to present a totally new restaurant, style and theme to this downtown location. “The Gonzalez family and El Compadre is a welcome addition to downtown Oregon City,” said Lloyd Purdy, Director of the downtown revitalization program MSOC. “My stomach is rumbling just thinking about the flavor and cuisine they’re adding to the menu of downtown restaurants.”
During the last three years more than 40 new business have opened in downtown Oregon City. El Compadre will be the 6th new restaurant/eatery to open in that same time. “When a resident or visitor wants to go out to dinner, but they’re not sure where to go, now they know a trip to downtown Oregon City offers a choice of at least 18 different options,” said Lloyd Purdy.
El Compadre Authentic Mexican Restaurant is focused on fresh, healthy and full flavor food choices inspired by family recipes from Mexico. The Gonzalez family will also look to inspiration from customers to keep the menu as fresh as the ingredients.
Oregon City Creative Technology Firm Flixio Collaborates with BrightSign to Create Interactive Signage Experience for CubeSmart Customers at 300 Locations
LOS GATOS, CA – February 22, 2012 – BrightSign LLC®, a key player in the digital signage controller industry, announced today the results of its recent collaboration with Flixio, an Oregon City content development partner, for CubeSmartsm (NYSE: CUBE). CubeSmart is a leader in the $20+ billion self-storage industry. BrightSign’s network-enabled HD1010 interactive players were combined with Flixio content to provide all-inclusive touchscreen kiosks that would helped CubesSmart increase sales.
Following the successful deployment of the BrightSign/Flixio signage solution in the lobby of its primary superstore in Philadelphia, CubeSmart is planning to roll out kiosks at more than 300 locations across the nation. Flixio’s CubeSmart solution has also been named a finalist in the Business, Industry & Government category of Digital Signage Expo®’s (DSE) Content Awards for 2012 which will be announced at DSE this year on March 7.
Interacting with a 46″ screen, a CubeSmart customer, or an employee assisting a customer, can view the many features and benefits that set CubeSmart apart from the competition. With the touchscreen display, they can call up an array of storage solutions ranging from personal mini storage; car, RV, motorcycle and boat storage; climate-controlled storage and commercial storage as well as services such as Wi-Fi access and CubeSmart’s exclusive SmartTrakr organizing application and premium storage options like shelving, individual alarms and remote access.
“BrightSign players were initially selected for their price, ease of use and product quality,” said Kirk Vanderleest, Vice President, National Accounts at Flixio. “Some of the features that influenced CubeSmart to expand their signage solution to other locations were the networking features that simplified changing content, the great touchscreen interface and the high-quality content playback.
The BrightSign players provide the sophisticated features and controls that Flixio’s dynamic, interactive content requires to drive easy touchscreen access. There are 130 unique video assets in the CubeSmart interactive project and the number of connection points between assets, i.e., different routes or directions a person can take, is close to 1,000. Despite this complex web of connections, the content itself seamlessly guides viewers from one service or feature of CubeSmart to the next, allowing them to quickly and easily find the information they need.
“Downtown Oregon City’s creative core of businesses are leading their industries in creativity, entrepreneurism and in building national accounts,” said Lloyd Purdy, Director of Downtown Oregon City’s revitalization program. “Pairing local talent with a national client base for innovative product development is a testament to the leadership of Flixio.”
About Flixio
As providers of premium digital signage content and integration solutions, Flixio Studios in Downtown Oregon City has been producing award-winning video and motion graphics for more than a decade. Located just outside Portland, OR, in historic downtown Oregon City, Flixio brings forward-thinking business acumen to the world of digital signage content. Working to understand clients’ goals from beginning to end, Flixio’s content engagement strategies and integration solutions ensure the content they create performs flawlessly and has the desired impact. For inquiries, please contact Sales@Flixio.com or call 503.607.0010.
About CubeSmart
CubeSmart is a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust. CubeSmart owns or manages 473 facilities across the United States and operates the CubeSmart Network, which consists of approximately 860 additional self-storage facilities. The Company plans to exceed Customer expectations by adding more personalized services and technology to some of the best storage spaces around. According to the 2011 Self Storage Almanac, CubeSmart is one of the top four owners and operators of self-storage facilities in the U.S. For more information, visit http://www.CubeSmart.com or call 800-800-1717.
About BrightSign
BrightSign, LLC, based in Los Gatos, California, develops products and software for digital signage. BrightSign solid-state digital sign controllers set new standards for both stand-alone and networked digital signage applications with their superior video quality, reliability, affordability, ease of use and interactivity. Online information about BrightSign units is available at www.brightsign.biz. For sales inquiries, please contact sales@brightsign.biz or call 408-852-9263 in the USA and +44-1223-911842 internationally. Follow BrightSign at http://twitter.com/brightsign and http://www.facebook.com/pages/BrightSign-LLC/121852744557182
Signature Property in Downtown Oregon City Ready for Adaptive Reuse.
The membership of Multnomah Lodge #1, the oldest Masonic Lodge west of the Missouri River, have listed 707 Main Street in Downtown Oregon City for sale as a commercial property with a list price of $875,000.
Multnomah Lodge #1 has retained real estate professionals Scott Elliott and Todd Collins from Macadam Forbes to act as brokers for this 29,700 square foot four storing building with full basement. The property is visible from 99E carrying more than 40,000 visitors a day through downtown Oregon City and according to experts in adaptive reuse and downtown revitalization the building is well suited for a mix of commercial uses including retail, office and potentially residential.
The current owners of the building, Multnomah Lodge #1, recognize that substantive internal restoration that preserves the character of the building but also brings the property up to modern standards, will best be completed by a new owner.
The Multnomah Lodge, designed and constructed by local Masons in 1907, is the tallest building downtown and retains this distinction through a zoning ordinance and local tradition. Its presence is felt from the McLoughlin Promenade, atop the Municipal Elevator, the Oregon City Arch Bridge, and across the Willamette River in West Linn. Over the years, the building has housed the City library, morgue, telephone switchboard and many other municipal and commercial activities.
Multnomah Lodge #1 is among the most valuable cultural, architectural and historic resources in the City of Oregon City. In a town that defines much of Oregon’s earliest history, this is saying a lot. Through the Mason’s stewardship, the character and defining elements of the building remain largely intact. Designed and built in 1907 as a cast in place concrete structure, the building is unique for its early use of concrete as the original finish material.
The Lodge’s beginnings date back to February 21, 1846 when seven Master Masons drew up a petition for a new lodge and trailblazer and wagon train leader Joel Palmer delivered the petition to the Missouri Grand Lodge. Two years, 7 months and 6 days later the charter was finally delivered back to Oregon City granting Multnomah Lodge #1 jurisdiction from Canada to Mexico between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains.
For a time, 166 years ago, Downtown Oregon City was in the national spotlight as a nexus for migration, commerce, industry, and nation building. As the end of the Oregon Trail and the capital of the Northwest Territory, this place shone brilliantly as a beacon of innovation, settlement, and a still young Nation’s expansion across the continent. “The Masonic Lodge in Downtown Oregon City embodies this history and heritage,” said Lloyd Purdy, Director of Oregon City’s downtown revitalization program. “It’s also clear that 707 Main Street is ready for the next chapter in its history.”
707 & 709 Main Street Oregon City, Oregon
Property Description
Gross Building SF: 29,700 SF
Main Floor Area: 5,850 SF
Upper Floors: 17,550 SF
Basement Area: 6,300 SF
Land Area: 6,928 SF
Terms
Sale Price: $875,000
Listing Agents: Scott Elliott 503.972.7284 or Todd Collins 503.972.7283 both with Macadam Forbes
The Multnomah Lodge, designed and constructed by local Masons in 1907, is the tallest building downtown. Its presence is felt from the WPA McLoughlin Promenade, the Arch Bridge, and across the Willamette River in West Linn.
The building has housed the City library, morgue, telephone switchboard and many other municipal and commercial activities. Multnomah Lodge #1 is among the most valuable cultural, architectural and historic resources in the City of Oregon City. In a town that defines much of Oregon’s earliest history, this is saying a lot.
CPA Mike Gavaza starts the New Year as head of MJ Gavaza, CPA PC with the acquisition of AJH Financial Services.
Downtown Oregon City’s mix of retailers, restauranteurs and professionals received another new addition this year. Starting this year, Certified Public Accountant Mike Gavaza is helping clients from around the region with accounting, business advisory, and tax preparation and advisory services.
Mike acquired the assets of AJH Financial Services at 216 7th Street, near the base of the Municipal Elevator. Mike, a Tualatin resident, and his family moved to the area in 1998. Mike has 20 plus years of public accounting experience and has spent the last10 years working for a larger downtown Portland CPA firm. He has spent the last two years searching for the right opportunity to run his own firm.
“I wanted a better quality of life for me and my family and to be able to offer a more personalized service to my clients,” said Mike, Owner of MJ Gavaza, CPA PC at 216 7th St. “I like what’s happening in downtown Oregon City and I decided I want to be a part of that.”
Mike originally began looking at acquiring a larger firm, but he felt a strong connection to the smaller, close-knit community downtown and he likes the positive interaction between downtown Oregon City business owners and professionals.
“Downtown Oregon City offers a range of shopping and services to visitors,” said Lloyd Purdy, Director of Oregon City’s downtown revitalization program. “We’re pleased that Mike decided to bring his skills and talents to the downtown marketplace.”
AJH Financial Services’ owner, Anna Handegard, will be available as a consultant for tax representation services and to assist with the transition of AJH clients. She sold the Tax and Accounting business to Mike so that she could focus her time on representation services onlyand will be working exclusively with MJ Gavaza, CPA PC. Former AJH employee Milena Rodgers, LTP, has joined the team of MJ Gavaza, CPA PC and will also assist with the transition of AJH clients.
Operating out of an almost 1,000 square foot office near the base of the Municipal Elevator in downtown Oregon City, Mike and his team are positioned to grow their business. Throughout the year they will work with individuals and businesses in helping them meet their accounting and tax needs.
“We’re constantly updating our skills, our education, and our tools to make sure we offer clients the best personalized service we can – even in an environment of constantly changing tax laws and regulations,” said Mike. “I enjoy helping clients meet their financial needs and goals. No matter what a client needs, the key for me is a high level of personal service.”
Arcade Collector Opens Stryker’s Main Street Arcade & Family Fun Center at 611 Main Street.
Some pedestrians in Downtown Oregon City may have felt a bit like the theme character in the classic 1980’s arcade game “Frogger” recently as they navigated through the new two-way traffic on Main Street. Staring this month, downtown visitors can try their hand at navigating even more perilous setting from the safety and comfort of downtown’s newest business.
Canby resident Martin Lackner is opening Stryker’s Main Street Arcade & Family Fun Center at 611 Main Street just in time for the holidays. This arcade located in 1,100 square feet at the historic Meyers Building is a coin-operated arcade with video games from the 1980’s up to 2006, as well as pinball, air hockey and prize games.
“This is the closest thing to a time machine,” said owner Martin Lackner. “Especially in this economy $20-$30 buys a lot of entertainment for the family at an arcade.”
Lackner, an arcade game collector for the last 12 years, has hundreds of video games and provides his products to arcades throughout the Portland area. He decided to open a business at 611 Main Street because downtown is growing into a destination, it’s close to his home, and it’s a convenient location for visitors.
“We bring energy, excitement and a more diversified mix of family friendly entertainment to downtown,” said Lackner. Stryker’s Main Street Arcade will be available for parties, tournaments, events, arcade game sales and arcade repair. “We provide a clean, quality, family friendly environment that’s fun. That’s what it’s all about,” said Lackner.
Lackner is one of the four largest Portland area arcade collectors. He owns hundreds of arcade games and felt this was the right time to turn his hobby of arcade game collecting into a fun business. Initially, the arcade at 611 Main Street will be open evenings and weekends from Thursday to Sunday with special hours available for private parties and events.
“Martin and his arcade are a nice addition to the downtown marketplace,” according to Lloyd Purdy, Director of the downtown revitalization program. “Family friendly entertainment like the arcade work well with our growing boutique retail and locally owned restaurant options downtown.”
Stryker’s Main Street Arcade and Family Fund Center is the 38th new business to open in downtown Oregon City since revitalization efforts began in early 2009. More information can be found about the arcade at www.strykersarcade.com.
Abernethy Center to Install Historic Bell at Wedding Chapel
On Monday November 21, 2011, F&F Structures, Inc., the general contractor for the Abernethy Center in Oregon City will hoist a 30-foot bell tower to the top of the existing 35-foot tall Abernethy Chapel tower at 1326 John Adams Street.
The 1887 bell is originally from a Midwest church. “Using an authentic bell from 1887 shows our commitment to reuse and to history,” said Mark Foley of F&F Structures. “We feel it is one more way to fit into Oregon City’s historic McLoughlin neighborhood.”
The scheduled installation time for the bell and tower addition is 12 noon. The bell tower weights approximately 10,000 pounds; including the 36”, 420 pound, cast iron church bell that was purchased from a Michigan company and shipped more than 1,987 miles to Oregon City for use in the chapel.
The bell will be used by future brides and grooms following their marriage. When completed the Abernethy Chapel will be a classic white ceremony chapel tucked within a grove of trees. It will have a dedicated bridal and groom’s suites, and the capacity to hold 220 guests for ceremonies. The chapel will also have an intimate reception space for parties of up to 70 guests.
In conjunction with the completion of the new Abernethy Chapel, in spring 2012, Abernethy Center and its vendors/sponsors are partnering 9to give one deserving couple Abernethy Center’s Dream Chapel Wedding for up to 150 guests on April 27, 2012. Details are available on the Abernethy Center website.
The Abernethy Center began as a ballroom in 2001 and has expanded services as a meeting center and wedding location. In 2003 and in 2005 Abernethy Center added two different gardens to their downtown Oregon City location in order to offer a greater range of venues that include outdoor and indoor wedding services.
The Abernethy Center has won several awards recognizing the high quality of their service and location including: Oregon Bride Magazine Best of 2011 – Best All-Inclusive Wedding Venue, Oregon Bride Magazine Best of 2010 – Quintessential Oregon Reception Site, Wedding Wire Bride’s Choice Award – 2008, 2009 and 2010.
Watch this video for a glimpse at the activity and vibrancy of downtown Oregon City. Visit us in person for the full downtown experience.
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Teddy Bear Day Parade
May 19th 2012 10 am.
8th Street Farmers Market
Wednesdays, June – October, 3 to 7p.m. on 8th Street
Saturdays in the City
Second Saturday of the month June through August 4 pm to 7 pm.
Cars and Coffee
Every Saturday June through August, corner of 8th and Main 8 am to 10 am.
First City Celebration
Saturday, July 28th 2012 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Oregon City Antique Fair
Sunday, August 26th 2012 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Downtown Car Show
Saturday, September 15th 2012 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Festival of the Falls
Mid October Bridge Opening Event.
Trick or Treat
Wednesday, October 31st 2012 5 to 8 p.m.
Tree Lighting
Saturday, December 1st 2012
See You Downtown!
Event sponsorship opportunities are available. Call 503.522.1564 for details.
First City Celebration
Join us downtown on Saturday, July 28th 2012 for the First City Celebration Street Festival -- a day long event celebrating the unique heritage and identity of Oregon City. Art, music, food and entertainment make this a signature summer event. This event is free and open to the public.
See You Downtown - on July 28th 2012.
Bettencourt's Taekwon-Do Styrkers Arcade
Executive Copy and Printing
Green Key Locksmith
River Crossing Professional Center
Mings Automotive Repair
Modele Salon
Nail Spa
Oregon City Awards
Advantage Optical
Accurate Collections
Endres Northwest
Phil James CPA
Edward Jones - Kaci Hall Premier Choice Insurance Agency
ZKS Engineering Wildish Construction Wallis Engineering Nutter Corp
Santi Insurance
Fournier Insurance
Superior Radiator
Providence Willamette Falls Community Center
US Bank
If you’re ready for business, we’re ready for you. Let’s meet on Main Street. Here's a short list of space available in downtown Oregon City. Call your commercial real estate agent for details.
900 Main Street
River Crossing Professional Center,
503.349.9629
1,500 sq ft with parking.
Property fronts 99E and Main Street.
509 Main Street
Harding Building
Nick Veroske, 503-617-7662
1,600 sq ft street level
514 Main Street
Tim Tofte, (503)329-1713
1000 square feet +/-
$1200 per month
Old high ceilings and an internal brick wall as well as a private bathroom and loft office. Front and back doors and a parking space are also part of the deal.
615 Rail Road Ave.
Glenn Butler, 503-524-9695
1,000 sq feet. square feet +/-
on Rail Road Street across from Municipal Elevator.
Two Way Main Street
The animations below shows the upcoming and already in place traffic circulation changes to downtown Oregon City.
Watch this 2011 animation about two way traffic flow in downtown Oregon City - part of more than $2.5 million in downtown improvements .
